


What Would Andraste Do?

by VisceralComa



Series: Ancestor's Tits [3]
Category: Dragon Age II
Genre: F/M, Insert in Thedas, Modern Character in Thedas, Modern Girl in Thedas, Rating May Change, Tags May Change
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-02-23
Updated: 2017-02-23
Packaged: 2018-09-26 10:05:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,721
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9885728
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VisceralComa/pseuds/VisceralComa
Summary: An AU of "By the Tits of my Ancestors" where Lena didn't come through as a dwarf but rather as a human.





	

Selena stared at the statue of Andraste as she rose from the kneeling position. It was expected of all affirmed to pray and chant three times a day. She did it, only because it meant she got out of tending to the gardens. It did however have the effect of making her look especially devout as she "contemplated" the Maker and Andraste at length and repeatedly.

"Sister Selena, this is the fourth time this morning you have prayed today." Elthina's aged voice called as the Grand Cleric moved forward through the pews. "Is something troubling you, child?"

Lena refrained from shivering at her voice. Months ago, she’d escaped Darktown unscathed and after wandering the streets of Kirkwall for a day, she realized she was indeed on Thedas. Hours spent staring at the sky. She’d gotten sick off the well water soon after and spent a few days huddled in a corner. Eventually she found her way up toward Hightown. The only place she might find help was the Chantry. And help she did find.

They mistook her for a minor noble, not of Kirkwall but of somewhere else. Between her appearance, girth, and mannerisms, they were convinced. And she played along. The Sister who brought her in, she will never forget, was Sister Petrice. Naturally she didn’t like the woman but she hadn’t done anything to her yet. In fact the future instigator of the Qunari troubles was fairly kind. At least until Selena caught her looking through her luggage.

With nowhere else to go, she joined the Chantry as an affirmed lay-sister. There was food, shelter, and a whole lot of books for her to read. Heck she was even working on her penmanship here. The downside of course meant, she had to see Petrice every day, attend the morning Chant, do chores to keep up the appearance of the Chantry, and study the Chant of Light - extensively.

As an atheist, it wasn’t too bad. She brought up questions about the Maker to Sister Lorena who oftentimes would end up fed up with her _doubting_ the Chant and the Maker. Thus led to Selena being shown to Elthina as a ‘miscreant’ and ‘heathen.’

Her first meeting with Elthina, she felt like lashing out. Elthina was the one person who could help the mages in the games and she did nothing! So naturally, Selena was antagonistic to her. It took about five minutes for her to feel like ripping her throat out. Elthina was quiet throughout her tirade and even understanding.

“Much of the Maker’s teachings are not literal.” Elthina told her.

“Oh? But then what about Transfigurations? Magic exists to serve man, and never to rule over him.” Selena seethed the verse out. “Foul and corrupt are they who have taken His gift and _turned it against His children_.”

“And mages are in the circle.”

“But why do they have to be forced there? They haven’t done anything wrong! Many of them haven’t even turned the Maker’s gift against us!”

“You misunderstand. The gift is not magic. The gift, is life. They have taken life and turned it against His children already.”

“Life?” Lena squinted.

“Yes. Now you understand.” Elthina smiled.

With a low voice she asked for clarification. “So...by merely existing-”

“They have already turned against His children. Magic is the manipulation of life itself. It is everywhere and they turn it against the natural order.” Elthina clarified. “Now you see why they must be kept in the circles. They are foul and corrupt by birth.”

Selena had tucked her chin down if only to prevent the vomit from spilling out.

Everytime Elthina engaged in a conversation with Lena after that, Lena remained quiet and stayed out of her way. If she truly believed that mages, by birth, were foul, what would she make of someone like her? Someone not even from this world?

She kept her mouth shut and tried to stay out of her way until now. Contemplating the Chant four times in one morning was something of note to the Grand Cleric.

“I am puzzled over a verse of the Chant in this week’s lesson.” Lena muttered, letting her B.A. in B.S. work.

“Have you asked Sister Lorena?”

“Not yet. I thought to sit on it for a bit longer.” Lena tucked her hands into her sleeves. The robes had wide sleeves. It was in the midst of winter and while there were plenty of braziers, it was still drafty.

“Ah. Then I shall leave you to your thoughts.” Elthina smiled and moved through.

There were citizens of Kirkwall in the pews, praying or visiting the confessions. Lena kept Elthina in her sights as she ducked into the connecting hall that would lead her to the library. On her way there she heard the whispers of the other Sisters. She came into the library and chose to head for the section on foreign cultures. She found it interesting to read further about things she only got a glimpse of via codex entries and now she had the source material right in front of her. Her favorites of course were written by none other than Brother-fucking-Genitivi. Only because it was familiar.

She reached for the _Tales of the Destruction of Thedas_ but another hand got to it first. Selena blinked and turned to the person next to her.

“Sorry.” Came the sincere apology from Brother Sebastian.

Being an affirmed, she’s come across him. She’d been introduced to Sebastian Vael and had rightfully so been shocked to see him. But he was every bit as chaste even as an affirmed as he was in game as a fully vowed Brother. It was a shame too, given the look he had to his eyes and what she knew about his life before the Chantry.

“No you can go ahead. I’ve read it like four times already.” She stepped back. She intended to turn away. Lena rather liked the quiet nature of the Chantry but Sebastian had other plans.

“Four times?” He asked, incredulous. “You’ve been here barely two months.”

Lena shrugged. “I like history.” _I like reading anything other than the Chant._ She didn’t say that of course.

“Oh.” He said. It looked like he was going to say something else but Lena ducked away to another stack to find something else she’d like to read. The books on the Qunari were all under lock and key in Elthina’s private library - or so she’d heard. She’d love to get a copy of the Tome of Koslun. Who knows, if she’s around long enough for Isabela to show up - she might get that chance.

“Have you perchance read _Thedas: Myths and Legends_?” The scottish/Starkhaven accent floated from behind her, the book in question. “It’s an intriguing read about-”

“Twice now.” Lena muttered and moved on. She had no intention of getting involved with any of Hawke’s future companions. She’d written stories of characters in her predicament and realistically they should never end well. So while she’s here and searching for something to help her get home, she was going to keep her nose _out_ of Hawke’s business.

“Ah.” Sebastian added. “ _Tales from beneath-_ ”

“Six times.”

“The History of Grey Wardens in-”

“Ferelden, Free Marches, Anderfels, Tevinter, Antiva, Rivain, and Orlais. All of them twice.”

“Have you read all the books in the library?!” He rasped annoyed at her.

Selena turned to him sharply with a finger raised to her lips. “Shh.” She shushed him. The library wasn’t huge, not like the libraries she visited at home but it was large enough to allow several small groups of lay sisters sisters and brothers researching or reading. Though they were socializing as well. A few of them had looked up toward Sebastian and her. She felt her cheeks heat and ducked her head down. She felt him follow after her.

 _What gives?!_ She sighed. “I haven’t read all the books in the library.” She clarified but then smirked when he smiled. “Not yet. I’m still working on it. There’s a whole shelf in Orlesian I can’t read. My Antivan is rusty, and I don’t quite have a grasp of Tevene to even think about reading any of the titles on those.” She ran her finger down one book she hadn’t read only because it was in Orlesian. “But the interesting ones I can read, I try to comb through them a few times and take notes.” She sighed and dodged out of that stack to one across the room. He trailed after her with three books in his arms.

“Hmm.” He hummed and watched as she pulled out a book from the back wall. It was old and worn out. Its spine was bent and warped but something kept it together. Lena set it down on the table and opened it.

Very quickly she shut it and stared at the wall.

“What is it?”

“Nothing.” She grumbled and hugged the book to her chest.

”Did you find a book you haven’t read.”

“Yep.” She added and turned to go take this particular book out. It was Brother Librarian Haydon who was on duty. He was known for checking over every book that passed through. “Shit.” She turned back around and slipped the book back in it’s place.

“What’s wrong, I thought you were going to get that one?”

“Changed my mind.” She grumbled and walked away and out of the library.

Sebastian stared after her. In particular her rear. Even in the stuffy boxy robes he could make out her plump figure, her steps and the way she moved accentuated her womanly curves. It gave him impure thoughts. He took a sharp breath. Initially he’d been interested in learning about her. She’d joined the Chantry only two months ago and had not made any friends amongst her peers. She was known as particularly aggressive in doubting the Chant that had prompted intervention by Elthina. Even more so when Elthina asked for him to speak to her. They were worried she may abandon the Chantry after joining so hastily.

Meandering back toward the shelf she had placed the book on he pulled it down and opened it. He was shocked to not see the displayed book but rather ribboned together pamphlets of the Randy Dowager Quarterly.

“Oh...oh dear.”

**Author's Note:**

> An off hand and completely unrelated comment by LonelyAgain spawned this. BLAME HER- but also don't because this was a nice little break from the main story.


End file.
